Breech-closure-operating mechanism for guns.



F. S. CRAVEN.

BREEGH CLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1913. ,1 1 3,411 6. Patented 001;.13, 19M

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHOTO-LITMO. WASHINGTON. D. C.

P. s. CRAVEN. BREEGH CLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS. APPLICATION II LED JULY 30, 1913.

1 1 1 3,41 6. Patented 001. 13, 1914.

4 BKEETS-BHEET 2.

, awuen lbdz' 5: Graven,

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHDm-LI'IHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

F. S. CRAVEN.

131133011 CLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM ron GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY30, 1913. 1, 1 1 3,41 6. Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHBET 3.

THE NORRIS PErERs 60., F'HOTOLITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

F. S. CRAVEN.

BREEGH CLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY-'30, 1913. 1 1 1 3,41 6.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

amwaad THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTD-LITHQ. WASHINGTUN. D. C.

ran sra rs ra rnr FRANCIS s. CRAVEN, or THE UNITED sra'r is NAVY.

BREECI-I-CLOSURE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GU1\TS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS S. CRAVEN, ensign, United States Navy, a citizen of the United States, stationed on board the U. S. S. Dixie, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Closure-Operating Mechanism for Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to breech closure operating mechanism for guns, and has for its purpose to provide a means for opening and closing the breech of guns mounted in turrets which will give complete accessibility to the gun breech, and wherein the breech operations of one gun will offer no hindrance to the breech operations of an adjacent gun.

The further purpose of the invention is to provide a closure operating mechanism which is adaptable for opening and closing the breech with either a vertical or horizontal swinging movement, and which will automatically exert its maximum working force during the commencement of the unlocking and the finish of the locking movements of the breech block and with a decreased force and accelerated movement during the remainder of the unlocking and the commencement of the locking movements thereof.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a gun showing the application of-the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view and showing the breechplug opened- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gun breech and closure and showing the closure operating mechanism partly in elevation and partly in section. Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view thereof. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same; and Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the breech plug closed and of the closure operating mechanism.

Referring to the construction in further detail, 1 designates the gun mounted on the support 2 through the medium of the sleeve Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 1 13 1914 Application filed July 30, 1913.

Serial No. 782,087.

3, as in the usual manner. The breech closure employs the Welin orother interrupted screw type plug 4-, designed after the usual manner and mounted on the plug carrier 5, which is hinged to the gun breech at 6 as illustrated.

A series or compound wound motor 7 is suitably mounted on top of the gun sleeve 3 and has its axis disposed parallel with the axis of the bore of the gun barrel. The motor armature is mounted on a hollow shaft, or sleeve 8, which is suitably secured by end bearings on the motor casing. Passing through the armature-shaft 8 is a shaft 9 having a feather and key-way connection 10 with said shaft, whereby to permit of axial-translation of the drive shaft during the recoil and counterrecoil'movements of v the gun, but to efiect rotation of said shaft 9 through the motor. In lieu of the feather and key-way connection, said shaft, where it passes through the sleeve 8, may besquare or of such other design in cross section'as will cause its rotation by the sleeve-8 but permit of axial movement therethrough. The rear end of the shaft is mounted to rotate in the support 11, which also serves as a thrust bearing in both directions, mounted on the gun barrel, and is provided with a screw-threaded section 12 engaging with a trunnioned nut 13 having a guide lug 14 which is adapted to travel on the guide rod 15 fixedly mounted on the supports 11 and 16. The rotation of the shaft 9, causes the trunnioned nut 13 to be moved for'operating the breech'closure, as will now be explained.

A pair of pins 17 and 18 are mounted on the rear face 19 of the breech plug 4:, and have engagement, respectively, with slotted cross heads 20 and 21 carried by the pair of parallel and vertically disposed rods 22 and 23. 'Said rods are mounted to have sliding movement in suitable guideways 24 and 25 of the plug carrier 5, and said plug carrier is hingedly mounted on the pin 6 (see Fig. 3).. It will be evident that the reciprocating movements of the bars 22 and'23 will operate to lock or unlock the breechplug after the usual manner. In the upper ends of these bars are mounted pins 27 (see Figs.

3, 5 and 6), projecting toward'each other 2%)) just referred to, are operable to effect the locking andfiunlocking movements of the bars 22 and 23, as above described. A pair of drag links 33 pivotally connect the cam plates 30, by the pivot pin 34, to the traveling nut 13 on the drive shaft 9, whereby to actuate said cam plates for the locking and unlocking movements of the breech plug, andthe opening and closing swinging movements of the plug carrier 25. The pivot 7 pin connection 84, between the drag links and .the .cam plates, is provided with a sleeve 35 which serves as a spacing member for said links, and a tie rod 36 is secured to said linksand is similarly provided with a sleeve or spreader 37. i

There is a' safety catch to prevent prema ture rotationof the plug for closing. It is ofthe usual plunger type, half of which enters a slot in the side of the plug asthe plug leaves its closed position, but which is forced back into the plug carrier by contact with the rear face ofthe gun as the plug closes, freeing the plugin rotation. It is shown by 38j i The cam slots of the levers are disposed to the'end that their'initial movement, in

the opening of the breech, will exert its maximum working force to unlock the breech plug, and the further movement will be 1 ofgdec'rea'sed force but at accelerated speed; and onqthe closing of the breech this operation is reversed.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows The rotation of the drive-shaft 9 by the motor 7 causes the trunnioned nut 13 to be fed by the screw 12, and the cam plates 3 are turned on their pivot'pin'31 by the drag link connections 33. The initial movement of said cam plates, in opening the ;breech, is on the pivot pin 31, and the" pin and cam slot-engagements (27, 28 and-29) actuate the bars 22 and 23 to unlock the breech plug. And when said'pin and slot engagements have reached their limit of movementthe continued movement of the drive links transfers the point of fulcrum fromthe pivot pin 31 to the pivot pin 6 of thebreech plug carrier 5. The parts then have the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, and said plug carrier begins its opening swinging movement the completion of which brings the breech plug to the position shown'in Fi 2. v .t 1

It is obviousthat those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do, not wish to be limited to such features except as :nay'be requiredby the claims. Iclaimz p g 1 The. combination with a gun having a breech closure and carrier therefor, of members connected to the closure; levers fulcrumed on then-carrier,operatively connected to said members; a motor fixedly mounted relative to the gun; and operative connec-- tions between said levers and the 'motor whereby to actuate said closure and the carrier. I

2, The combination with a gun having a breech closure and a carrier therefor, of;

members connected to the closure; leversful- 1 crumed on the carrier operatively connected to said members; an actuating mechanism fixedly mounted relative to the gun; and op-g erative connections between said actuating mechanism and saldlevers whereby to actuate said closure and thescarri'er. I y

3. The combination with a gun having a breech, closure and a carrier therefor,,1of members connected to the closure; leversful= v crumed on the carrier operatively connected to said members; a motor fixedly mounted relative to the gun; a shaft connected to be driven by the motor; and operative connections between said shaft and said levers whereby to actuate said closure-and the car rler. 1

4. Thecombination with *a gun having a breech closure and a carrier therefor, of members connected to the closure; levers fulcrumed on the carrier operatively connected to said members; a motor fixedly mounted, u

relative to the gun; a shaft connected to be driven by'the motor; a member connected to be driven by said shaft; and operative conbreech plug cara gun having a to move on-said oreech plug and a swinging breechplug-car .rier, of a pair of ,bars sli'dably mounted on said plug carrier and pivotally connected-to said breechplug; a pairof levers pivotally mounted onsaid plug-carrier and having cam slotengagement Withsaid slidable bars to actuate the latter; a motor; a member connected to be driven by the motor, and link connections between said driven member and said pivoted levers operable to lock andun= plug and swing the breech l lock the breech plug carrier.

7. The combination with a gun haviilg fa breech plug and a swinging breech plugcarrier, of a pair of bars slidably mounted 011 saidplug carrier and pivotally connected to y said breech plug; levers pivotally mounted on said plug carrier and having oppositely disposed cam slots; pins mounted on said slidable bars engaging with said cam slots to actuate said bars; a motor; a screw shaft connected to be driven by the motor; a member connected to be driven by said screw shaft; and link connections between said driven member and said pivoted levers operable to lock and unlock the breech plug and swing the breech plug carrier.

8. The combination with a gun having a breech plug and a swinging breech plug ,carrier, of a pairof bars slidably mounted on said plug carrier having pivotal connections with the breech plug; a pair of levers pivotally mounted on the plug carrier and providedwith oppositely disposed cam slots; pins carried by said slidable bars and engaging with said cam slots to actuate said bars; a motor; a screw shaft connected to be rotated by the motor; a trunnioned nut mounted to travel on said screw shaft; and a pair of drag links connecting said trunnioned nut with said cam slotted levers 0perable to lock and unlock the breech plug and swing the breech plug carrier.

9. The combination with a gun having a breech plug and a swinging breech plug carrier, of a pair of bars slidably mounted on said plug carrier having pivotal connections with the breech plug; a pair of levers pivotally mounted on the plug carrier and provided with oppositely disposed cam slots; pins carried by said slidable bars and engaging with said cam slots toactuate said bars; a motor fixedly mounted relative to the gun;

' a screw shaft mounted on the gun connected to be rotated by the motor and having independent axial translation; a trunnioned nut mounted to travel on the gun and having screw engagement with said shaft; and a pair of drag links connecting said trunnioned nut with said cam slotted levers operable to lock and unlock the breech plug and swing the breech plug carrier.

' 10. The combination with a gun mounted in a sleeve and having a breech plug and a swinging breech plug carrier; of a pair of bars mounted to slide on said carrier; pins mounted on the breech plug; slotted heads carried by said slidable bars having engagement with said pins; a pair of levers pivotally mounted on the plug carrier and having cam slots; pins carried by said slidable bars engaging with said cam slots to actuate said slidable bars; a motor mounted on the gun sleeve; a screw shaft mounted on the gun and connected to be rotated by the motor and having independent axial'translation; a trunnioned nut mounted on the gun and having driving engagement with said screw shaft; and a pair of drag links connecting said trunnioned nut with said cam slotted levers operable to lock and unlock the breech plug and swing the breech plug carrier.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS S. CRAVEN. Witnesses -J.- H. ABBOTT, WM. FREMGEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington; ,D. G. i 

